Service providers who are contracted under the National School Nutrition Programme in KwaZulu-Natal are set to reveal on Tuesday how alleged ‘tender rigging’ led to contracts being awarded to politically connected individuals.

The NSNP Service Providers Association will hold a media briefing in Durban on Tuesday.

In a statement, the organisation said the critical briefing will address the ongoing developments and revelations surrounding tender rigging and corrupt practices within the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP) in KwaZulu-Natal.

“This urgent briefing will unpack recent findings, outline the modus operandi uncovered, and present the association’s response and proposed actions to ensure transparency, fairness, and accountability in the NSNP supply chain,” it said.

MEC for Education, Sipho Hlomuka, and other senior ANC leaders have come under fire amid allegations that the allocation of the tenders was rigged to favour those who are politically connected. It was alleged that those with close links to Hlomuka or to the ANC had been appointed to provide meals in schools.

In an earlier statement, the NSNP Service Providers Association said it had uncovered widespread corruption and deliberate exclusion in the KZN Department of Education’s tender for the school feeding programme.

The association highlighted that despite raising repeated concerns, it has been deliberately excluded by the Office of the Premier from making formal submissions, undermining transparency and public accountability.

Key findings the association said it had made included:

• Ghost companies, deregistered entities, and non-tax-compliant bidders being included in the award list.
• Awardees that failed locality requirements and others that never submitted bids.
• Politically exposed persons (PEPs) and officials — from DDGs to clerks and their close protectors — fronting companies that benefit from the tender.
• Bid documents that remain sealed, indicating pre-determined award

THE MERCURY

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